So what is this me time, my time? Though the answer is very obvious, it requires a lot of conscious effort, mindfulness to enjoy your own company, dedicate a generous amount of whatever is left as your free time to self-care, essentially, doing something that makes you happy. It need not be extravagant nor luxurious.
Why is me time, my time important? This is the time where you connect to yourself, introspect, retrospect, feel the nerves of your entire body, hear your own breathing, flex your muscles, do nothing, be at your own pace. As this is about you, it is a serene, unhurried, relaxing activity. As very busy individuals, we need that time to disconnect.
How can you spend your me time, my time? As mentioned earlier, it need not be expensive nor whimsical. Here are some of the activities that work well for me.
1. Yoga, stretching, meditation. For additional information on meditation, please visit my previous posts: Finding my silence and Mindfulness
2. Cooking: In as much as I love to have my son with me in the kitchen as we whip our dishes together, I find tranquility being in the kitchen by myself and cooking at my pace. In order to have a win-win situation, I usually have my son with me during breakfast preparation (he has already perfected the recipe for a homemade pancake jejeje) and then from lunch, snacks and dinner preparation, I am usually alone in the kitchen. My son usually hops in from time to time but that is okay. :) I find peace and fulfillment slicing the ingredients, smelling the aromatic scent of sauted garlic, onion and ginger hahaha, and cleaning and organizing the kitchen. :)
3. Reading, writing, blogging
4. Organizing: This is similar to de-cluttering and putting your things in order. As you go through this pace of making things spic and span, as Marie Kondo´s konmari method advocated, there is a feeling of an inner force extending order, serenity and peace to you!
5. Singing or listening to music -any music that you like - rock, ballads, pop, classical, latin, name it. :)
6. Walking, Footing
7. Eating alone. :) I am a firm believer that eating alone is healthy. :) You connect with your food, feeling and tasting your food, enjoying the experience of simply existing and eating.
8. Looking at pictures: This is a very powerful tool that brings back smile on our faces as we recall the time, place and familiar feeling that go with the picture. This is always a sentimental journey with me as I live far from my original family. :)
9. Massage: I am a passionate lover and self confessed supporter of massage. In fact, when I moved here to Spain, I immediately looked for a massage spa. :) And since then, I have been a regular clients of The Organic Spa and Yo me Cuido I am regular client of Kobido (Japanese traditional facial), strong hard massage jajajaja, aromatherapeutic massage and thai massage.
10. Watching movie alone: It is always nice to watch a movie with my family. However, watching a movie alone is the time when I can be more relaxed as I have only myself as my company. I can buy my cinema ticket at my pace, I can choose not to order popcorn or probably have salted popcorn instead of the caramel one, hehehe etc.
11. Sewing
12. Surfing the internet - looking at online shops though not necessarily buying
13. Maintaining a "thank you" jar: This is where you put a thank you note, gratitude note to somebody or something that has made your extraordinary day even more extraordinary tantamount to making it more awesome!
14. Make a list of your personal projects, objectives and start making baby steps to fulfilling them!
15. Praying. This is always my silver lining, my ray of hope. After all, when man prays, God works.
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